CAPS In Focus 19 August 2020 www.capsindia.org

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Factors behind the prison raid by the Islamic State Khorasan Province Saurav Sarkar Research Associate, CAPS

Keywords: Islamic State Khorasan Province, Jalalabad prison,

The city of Jalalabad, the capital of ’s and ISKP’s status at a low among jihadists in Afghanistan due to a string of recent losses and , was rocked by the sounds of leadership arrests.5 ISKP has the potential to gunfire and explosions on Sunday evening, 2nd utilize the present political situation to its August. While violence in Afghanistan is not advantage by waging such high-profile attacks in uncommon, people were looking forward to a an attempt to recruit and boost morale amongst quiet weekend after the Eid-al-Adha celebrations its members. Until recently for quite some time the previous day with the Afghan government ISKP attacks were limited largely to soft targets and the having declared a three-day such as civilians and this attack on a hard target ceasefire.1 Therefore, the attack on the Jalalabad in a major urban center could signify a renewed prison complex housing around 1,793 prisoners offensive intent for the group. came as a complete surprise and led to a prolonged gunfight that lasted well into Monday ISKP inspired by tactics used in Iraq and afternoon. Over the more than 20 hours long Syria? attack 30 people - including 11 policemen, five According to a United Nations (UN) report in July prisoners and 14 civilians – were killed.2 The ISKP leadership ranks have been supplemented Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) had by foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) from Iraq and claimed responsibility for the attack.3 Around Syria such as Abu Said Mohammed al-Khorasani, 300 prisoners are believed to be have escaped, Sheikh Abdul Tahrir, Abu Qutaibah and Abu many of them linked to ISKP and the Taliban.4 Hajar al-Iraqi.6 The Islamic State (IS) in its early This attack came at a critical time in formative days in Iraq had conducted a series of Afghanistan with the ongoing prisoner exchanges prison breaks freeing multiple Islamists in what between the Afghan government and the Taliban, came to be known as the “Breaking the Walls”

1 Centre for Air Power Studies | @CAPS_India | Centre for Air Power Studies CAPS In Focus 19 August 2020 www.capsindia.org campaign.7 The Jalalabad prison attack points suicide attackers who carry small arms and towards the same tactics utilized by IS in Iraq explosive belts. Inghimasiuns fundamentally and Syria being repeated in Afghanistan directed operate as ‘shock troops’, aiming to soften the by Syrian or Iraqi jihadists. Multiple FTFs were defenses of their targets for follow up attacks.12 involved in the attack (only three of the attackers Given that three of the attackers involved in the out of 11 were Afghans).8 prison raid were Indian (including the suicide bomber)13 along with one from Pakistan the A post-attack statement by an ISKP references to prison breaks and inghimasi spokesperson on IS-linked social media channels operations in VoH seem to be significant. said that the attackers were divided into four teams.9 The raid began with the detonation of a The attackers were well-armed and suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive equipped, including having more than 150 device (SVBIED) at the gate and a three man mortar rounds and multiple suicide vests, squad firing machine guns and rockets from a pointing towards careful preparation. The tactics nearby building. This was followed by five used by IS in Iraq and Syria appear to have been inghimasi (suicide) fighters entering the prison deployed effectively by ISKP as not only did the complex by breaching the walls from another attackers free hundreds of prisoners but were section of the perimeter (taking advantage of the also able to pin down Afghan forces for almost 20 distraction at the gate cause by the SVBIED). And hours. All eleven attackers were confirmed killed in what seems like a diversionary tactic, a two by security forces. While this is not the first time man “support unit” fired mortars from long that such a prison break has happened in range towards the Jalalabad air base that houses Afghanistan, the Taliban had done so previously NATO forces. The ISKP spokesperson compared multiple times14, but this is the first time that the attack to the Abu Ghraib prison break in Iraq, ISKP was able to mount such a complex attack. a precursor incident to the formation of IS in ISKP’s endeavor to establish itself and assert 2014.10 itself Interestingly, Ansar-ul-Khilafah in Hind (a The Jalalabad prison raid does not just represent South Asian IS-linked entity) in the July edition of a major escalation of ISKP attacks but also a its Voice of Hind (VoH) magazine mentioned major security failure in the sense that a large jihadists currently imprisoned and said that their number of heavily armed attackers were able to release was a top priority for IS. 11 It also infiltrate and execute an attack of this scale on a mentioned that IS had previously carried out target that was not only fortified but also within inghimasi operations to free their members from a major city. The current ISKP leader known by prisons in Syria and elsewhere. Inghimasiuns are 2 Centre for Air Power Studies | @CAPS_India | Centre for Air Power Studies CAPS In Focus 19 August 2020 www.capsindia.org name of Dr. Shabab al-Muhajir (as per IS sources) few attacks attributed to/claimed by ISKP.19 This or Sheikh Matiullah Kamahwal (according to UN attack and recent deadly attacks in Kabul shows reporting)15 could be trying to boost his profile that despite losses of territory and fighters ISKP and motivate existing members by carrying out remains a major security threat if not a strategic such high-profile and complex attacks. In a one. recently released statement, he reassured (Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this imprisoned ISKP members that the group would article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Centre for Air Power Studies not “sit idle” while they remain jailed.16 ISKP [CAPS]) seems to have bet a lot on this attack given the Notes detailed description of the attack that followed 1 BBC News, “Islamic State group claims deadly attack on on IS media. Afghanistan prison”, 3 August 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53633450, Most ISKP losses have occurred in accessed on 6 August 2020. Nangarhar 17 and Jalalabad has been in ISKP 2 Fahim Abed, “Afghan War Casualty Report: August 2020”, New York Times Magazine, 6 August 2020, crosshairs18 due to its proximity to Kabul and https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/magazine/afghan -war-casualty-report-august-2020.html, accessed on 8 remote ISKP logistical bases in the east along the August 2020. Afghanistan-Pakistan border regions. The 3 SITE Intelligence Group, “Seizing on Importance of attackers could have taken advantage of the Jalalabad Prison Raid, Is' ' Presents Infographic on Operation”, 3 August 2020, sense of security brought about by the Eid https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Statements/seizing-on- importance-of-jalalabad-prison-raid-is-amaq-news- celebrations and ceasefire to mount their attack. agency-presents-infographic-on-operation.html, accessed on 6 August 2020. This attack could also improve its standing 4 N. 1. against the Taliban by giving the impression that 5 United Nations Security Council, Twenty-sixth report of it remains capable of freeing its members the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2368 (2017) concerning independently and inflict casualties on Afghan ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, 23 July 2020, https://undocs.org/S/2020/717, security forces while the Taliban has to negotiate accessed on 6 August 2020. with ‘foreign’ and ‘secular’ forces to get their 6 Ibid. members are released from prison. This could 7 Business Insider, “Trump's abrupt withdrawal from Syria further complicate the peace process as the may allow ISIS to come back with a vengeance - using the group's time-tested strategy”, 11 October 2019, Taliban could blame the Afghan government for https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/trum ps-abrupt-withdrawal-from-syria-may-allow-isis-to-come- failing to protect its prisoners and in turn portray back-with-a-vengeance-using-the-groups-time-tested- the government as corrupt and incompetent. strategy/articleshow/71538888.cms, accessed on 6 August 2020. Already both the Afghan government and the 8 Official Speech from the Media Office of Khurasan Taliban have accused each other of being behind Wilayah, Black Flags Media Center, Telegram, 3 August 2020 the attack as has been the case during the last 3 Centre for Air Power Studies | @CAPS_India | Centre for Air Power Studies CAPS In Focus 19 August 2020 www.capsindia.org

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 Voice of Hind Issue 6 (Dhul-Hijjah 1441), Al-Qitaal media, Telegram, July 2020

12 Cameron Colquhoun, “Inghimasi – The Secret ISIS Tactic Designed for the Digital Age”, Bellingcat, 1 December 2016, https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2016/12/01/in ghimasi-secret-isis-tactic-designed-digital-age/, accessed on 5 August 2020.

13 The Hindu, “Kerala doctor may have been among Afghan jail attackers”, 4 August 2020, https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala-doctor- may-have-been-among-afghan-jail- attackers/article32271298.ece, accessed on 6 August 2020.

14 BBC News, Afghan Taliban storm Ghazni prison, freeing hundreds, 14 September 2015, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34241882, accessed on 6 August 2020.

15 N. 5.

16 N. 1.

17 Amira Jadoon and Andrew Mines, Taking Aim: Islamic State Khorasan’s Leadership Losses, September 2019, Combating Center at West Point, https://ctc.usma.edu/taking-aim-islamic-state-khorasans- leadership-losses/, accessed on 5 August 2020.

18 The Guardian, “Islamic State attacks show group is intent on killing Afghan peace hopes”, 1 August 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/01/afgh anistan-us-look-taliban-for-help-isis-attacks-rise, accessed on 6 August 2020.

19 Ali Latifi and Mohsin Mohmand, “Jalalabad Jailbreak Highlights Resurgence of ‘Eliminated’ ISIS”, Foreign Policy, 7 August 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/07/jalalabad- jailbreak-highlights-resurgence-of-eliminated-isis/, accessed on 8 August 2020.

4 Centre for Air Power Studies | @CAPS_India | Centre for Air Power Studies